Scottsdale is gearing up for a fantastic week of world class events. The Phoenix Open and the Superbowl are just around around the corner. It is going to be an action packed weekend for golfers and sports fans in Scottsdale. This year is expected to be a banner year for The Phoenix Open now that Tiger Woods has confirmed his participation.

There is just a week left before the 2015 Waste Management Phoenix Open begins at TPC Scottsdale. This momentous occasion usually brings in hundreds of thousands of spectators, and each year tends to see a bigger crowd than the last. Everyone expects attendance records to be shattered this year.

One fan favorite at The Open is the Birds Nest tent. It is a rowdy bar which hosts nightly live entertainment. It is the place to see and be seen in Scottsdale.

If you haven’t yet purchased your tickets to the 2015 Phoenix Open, don’t wait until it’s too late! This is an event that no golf enthusiast in Scottsdale will want to miss.

Many Scottsdale golf courses can boast playability for beginning golfers, but far fewer can command the respect of the most seasoned players. If you are looking for a course that will test your skills, you may want to play at Desert Mountain Golf Club in North Scottsdale. Desert Mountain’s Chiricahua course has recently topped the list for the 5 Most Challenging AZ Courses by Phoenix Business Journal.

Desert Mountain was featured alongside three other prestigious Scottsdale golf clubs: Desert Highlands (2), Silverleaf (3) and Estancia (4). These courses were selected based on their USGA slope ratings, which measures the difficulty of each course for non-scratch golfers. A course’s slope rating can range anywhere from 55 and 155. The Chiricahua course at Desert Mountain sits right near the top of that range, with a slope rating of 151.

If you’re up for a challenge, Chiricahua is definitely a must-play. It boasts the highest elevation of all of Desert Mountain’s courses and offers stunning architecture, as well as incredible views of the Valley floor. Not ready to tackle the daunting Chiricahua course? Desert Mountain has five other Jack Nicklaus Signature courses to choose from and an array of luxury amenities. Become a member, and experience golf course living at its finest.

Call (602) 791-0536 or email Carmen@TopScottsdaleHomes.com to arrange a viewing of Desert Mountain golf homes. Feel free to contact us with any questions regarding real estate in Scottsdale.

November is Men’s Health Awareness Month, and the Desert Mountain community is raising funds to support local cancer research organizations. The newly renamed Desert Mountain Members’ CARE is challenging all community members to Mustache Madness – a friendly competition for “growers” and “non-growers” alike. Prizes will be awarded for Best Mustache, Most Creative FAKE Mustache, and Slowest Grower. Additionally, there will be a grand prize for the most funds donated, which includes a custom fitting and full set of golf clubs, plus a new golf bag.

MoVember is an annual event that began in Australia and New Zealand. The name comes from a mash-up of the month November and “mo” – Australian slang for mustache. The goal of MoVember is to increase early cancer detection, develop new diagnoses and treatments, and ultimately reduce the number of preventable deaths from men’s health problems. Getting in the spirit of this movement, Desert Mountain Members’ CARE (Cancer Awareness, Research, Education) will focus their fundraising efforts on men’s health for the month of November.

All donations must be received by November 26th, and the winners for the Mustache Madness competition will be announced at the end of November. As a competitor, you can also challenge other Desert Mountain community members to participate by sending them an email or video. For further instructions on how to participate in Mustache Madness, see Desert Mountain Members’ CARE’s newly redesigned website.

Over the last eighteen years, Desert Mountain Members’ CARE has raised $4.6 million with the support of the Desert Mountain Golf Club and social community. CARE seeks to raise awareness for cancer, as well as support cancer research through donations and friendly fundraising competitions. CARE’s partners, Scottsdale Healthcare and Mayo Clinic Arizona, have benefited greatly from these donations. Their efforts have resulted in advancements for the early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer.

If you’re interested in participating in Desert Mountain’s philanthropic efforts, or being part of the Desert Mountain community, please contact Carmen at (602) 791-0536, or Carmen@TopScottsdaleHomes.com to arrange a viewing of Desert Mountain homes.

Voting on the renovations for the Sonoran Clubhouse at Desert Mountain closes December 2014. This gives all members plenty of time to mail in their ballots. Members can also submit their ballots in person until December. Representatives from the Sonoran Work Group will be available to answer any questions and provide any assistance needed. They will be at the voting/polling station in front of the Sonoran Clubhouse on the following dates and times:

Wednesday, November 12th, 3:30 – 5:00pm

Friday, November 14th, 3:30 – 5:00pm

Tuesday, November 18th, 3:30 – 5:00pm

Thursday, November 20th, 3:30 – 5:00pm

The Sonoran expansion is a project “by the members and for the members,” and discussions to renovate go back a full decade. Even going back to the 2012 member survey, the project had the support of over 60% of Desert Mountain’s membership. Paul Wutz, President of the Board of Directors of Desert Mountain, believes that the “proposed project will enhance the first-class experience you should expect from your membership, preserve the club’s standing in the marketplace, and maintain a healthy influx of new members, all necessary ingredients to the well-being and future of our club”. The proposal includes a $4500 assessment to each membership for the renovations.

The Sonoran Clubhouse has always been a community center for Desert Mountain. However, the proposed improvements will make it even better and have something for everyone to enjoy. Reno’s include larger fitness and training areas, more group exercise rooms, upgraded spa facilities, a more exciting youth activity center, additional locker rooms, pro shop and boutique, and more parking. New amenities at Sonoran will include a quick serve café, a manicure/pedicure salon, and additional gathering spaces for groups and community functions. In total, the renovations will add nearly 18,000 square feet to the Sonoran Clubhouse.

Competitors for the 2014 Charles Schwab Cup Championship battled through the Desert Mountain greens last week. Tom Pernice, Jr. won the finale event for the 2014 Champions Tour, with a four-hole victory over Jay Haas. Bernhard Langer claimed the $1 million bonus and the Charles Schwab Cup points title a week earlier.

Perhaps the biggest winner this year is Desert Mountain, as it was announced that it will not only host the 2016 championship, but the 2015 championship as well. The Charles Schwab Cup Championship is the final event of the U.S.-based Champions Tour, and a high-profile competition that draws in 35,000 on-site spectators, as well as 120 million television viewers every year. Desert Mountain’s Cochise Golf Course has had the honor of hosting the 2012 and 2014 championships, and high demand for the course has allowed Desert Mountain to snag the 2015 and 2016 location.

Executive director of the Charles Schwab Cup Championship, Ian Knight, explained, “We were very happy with the results of the 2012 event at Desert Mountain. Scottsdale is such a hotspot for golf, and Desert Mountain has such a wonderful course and facility, that at the end of 2012, everyone started talking about bringing more events to Desert Mountain”.

The primary draw to Desert Mountain’s courses is clear: Jack Nicklaus, “The Golden Bear,” regarded as the greatest professional golfer of all time, designed all six of the Desert Mountain golf courses. Nicklaus calls the Cochise golf course, which plays at 6,929 yards and challenged the professionals this tour, one of the most scenic and beautiful golf courses in the world.

So congratulations to the 2014 winners, Pernice and Langer. We hope to see you back in Scottsdale for the 2015 and 2016 championships. And a big congratulations to the Desert Mountain community, who helped make this event so successful.

If you’re interested in being part of the Desert Mountain golf community, please contact Carmen at (602) 791-0536, or Carmen@TopScottsdaleHomes.com to arrange a viewing of houses in Desert Mountain.

The Charles Schwab Cup Championship is returning to Desert Mountain this fall, and club members are marking their calendars for this momentous event. You won’t want to miss a single day as the season’s top 30 players compete to be crowned the Charles Schwab Cup champion. Get your tickets soon; it will be here before you know it!

The 2014 tournament will take place at the Cochise Golf Course October 27-November 2 and will mark the Championship’s 25th Anniversary. It will also be the 3rd time Desert Mountain has hosted the event, though certainly not the last time. Desert Mountain is scheduled to host in 2016 as well.

The Charles Schwab Cup Championship is proud to contribute to PGA Tour charities, which raises $125 million each year. Since 2003, the tournament has raised over $5 million toward charity.